Very Quickly Now. I Must Not Keep the Party on Hold!
December 31^st, 2003
8:31 P. M.

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! Hope you're all doing well, and partying smart! I know I am. I haven't eaten anything for a couple of hours, so I know there should be nothing to slow down the absorption of alcohol!

I was sent a v. amusing link in an e-mail today. It was v. funny. I haven't had a chance to read it all yet, but I think I'll go ahead and link to it here so you folks can read and enjoy. It's one of those "I kid because I love" things that someone created, so if anyone is offended by any ... insinuations ... about characters from The Lord of the Rings, take it easy! I love the book, the movies, and I respect Tolkien very highly. Doesn't change the fact that I find this link v. hilarious, though....

Well, as I said, I can't keep the party waiting. Good night, and Party Hearty!

As promised almost a week ago...

Humpday Quote of the

Week!

Meanwhile, tension between the United States and North Korea continues to mount as North Korea, in what the White House calls ''a deliberate act of provocation,'' uses nuclear missiles to destroy Columbus, Ohio. A visibly angry President Bush warns the North Koreans that they ``better not give any of those missiles to Iraq.''
Dave Barry, from the article 2003, a Dave Odyssy

Here's to Maintaining Illusions!
December 30^th, 2003
11:51 A. M.

One thing I've noticed about other folks who run these weblogs; they seem to have such active, interesting (or so I think) lives. Look at Wil Wheaton, for example. If he hasn't posted to his 'blog in six days (as is the streak as of this very moment), it's probably because he's dealing with his literary agent ... or he's running to auditions ... or maybe he's at a convention in Vegas. This time around, though, I think he might have the flu. Eck.

Then there's Graduate Girl. Nothing in almost two months. I could imagine that she's on a break from college, probably a college in a big city, and she's back home in an unincorporated township so small it has neither a stoplight nor a horse. In other words, she's probably relaxing and unwinding in ways very few of us could possibly attain.

Then there's Jaygirl. Another interesting life. Oddly parallel to mine. I say "oddly" because she's a couple of years old than me, and of Asian descent. However, I have a theory that whatever happens to people of one lineage can happen to people of all lineages.
And, there's also that saying about love and war. If you want to see if any parts of her life pull close to yours, then I recommend clicking on her "about me" link. (I'm thinking about including one of those on my page...)

I included the link to Random Really because I liked the name. I must admit that I haven't read anything on it in quite some time. I just checked today, and those folks haven't updated in about a week, either. I could imagine that they're all gathered around a table, playing cards and talking about sports this holiday season. That, and there've probably been many parties to attend.

I can't comment on The Daily Aneurysm. This fellow blogger takes the name seriously. There is something posted there every day. I can't imagine what this writer might do for downtime...

The Quitters are another group with a great sense of humor ... and a penchant for referring to what they've done in the time they haven't updated their blog. This is another funny group of ladies here. I highly recommend this site.

Not lots of downtime for The World of the Musical Mind. Not a whole lot on there about music, either. But, then again, have any of you out there found a place to rent here?

Now, Tinmen Don't Dance hasn't been updated since last week. I know that Averie has many things going on in her life ... that's what I think keeps her writing so interesting. That, and I can tell there is a lot of awareness in her ... she's very conscious of everything going on around her, and she finds some of it annoying. For a perfect example of what I'm trying to get at here, click her link and read a post from Thursday, December 18, 2003 called The Averie Joy Monologues call to the stand, "The Stupid People." It is incredibly funny, as is most of what you'll find on Tinmen Don't Dance.

There are gaps in the Abyss, as well. Sorry, but I could think of no better way to phrase that last sentence. I would say that there are a lot of Holiday comings and goings around her household this season. She probably doesn't have a lot of time to sit down in front of a computer to update her blog.

The Rabid Librarian seems to be able to write unendingly. Rave on, RL! But, there are a couple of missing days there, too.

So, I suppose I shouldn't feel all that bad about missing a day or two here and there. But, let me tell you ... if I miss any posts, it's not because there is anything interesting occupying my time. It's more than likely I've simply gotten lazy.

An Interesting Story I Found, But Decided Not to E-Mail to the Writers of Tinmen Don't Dance or The Abyss
December 30^th, 2003
12:34 A. M.

Ladies, No. 1 City to Find a Husband

Ladies, if finding true love is your idea of paradise, head straight for it. Paradise, Nevada that is. According to a Census 2000 brief on marital status, this unincorporated area near Las Vegas boasts the highest ratio of unmarried men to unmarried women--118 to 100--among metro areas in the United States with 100,000 or more people. Nationally, the ratio is 86 unmarried men for every 100 unmarried women.

Where is your love life headed? Get your daily horoscope here! *

And if Paradise isn't quite right for you, unmarried men outnumber unmarried women in these U.S. cities, too:
--Fort Lauderdale, Florida
--Tempe, Arizona
--Sunnyvale, California
--Santa Ana, California
--Salinas, California
--Oxnard, California
--Costa Mesa, California
--North Las Vegas, Nevada
--Austin, Texas

Who should pay on a date? It's an age-old question, with no single answer.*

Did you know THIS about marriage in the U.S.A.?
--54.5 percent of all people age 15 and over are now married.
--18.5 percent are now widowed, divorced, or separated.
--27.1 percent have never been married.
--The highest number of divorced people is in the 45 to 54 age group with 18 percent of women and 15 percent of men.
--Asians are the least likely to divorce or separate.
--The Northeast has the lowest percentage of people who are now married (53 percent), the highest percentage of people who have never married (29 percent), and lowest percentage who are divorced (8 percent).
--Only 25 percent of Southerners have never married, the lowest in the country.
--Only 2 percent of Midwesterners are separated, the lowest in the country.
--The West has the lowest number of widowed (6 percent), while the Northeast has the highest (7 percent).
--60 percent of the people in Idaho are now married, the most of any state. --Only 30 percent of people in the District of Columbia are now married, the least in the country.
--Nevada has the highest proportion of adults who are divorced (14 percent), while New Jersey has the lowest (7.5 percent).

Advice to teen girls: Why you should ditch the boyfriend. Check out this startling new research. *

I posted this because I wanted to see if any of this stuff is true. I hope Averie and Pua find this to be funny. I wonder if they, or anyone else reading, feels a thrill at the sight of their hometown listed here.

On another line of thought here ... Who the heck does research like this? And why the heck do people like me pass it along through their blogs?

*These silly little lines were links that I couldn't get to work.

Neat News Stories from National Geographic
December 29^th, 2003
1:21 P. M.

After logging on today, I saw a headline for National Geographic's top ten stories of 2003. I haven't written much about it here, but I am a major astronomy buff. Ok, so maybe more like a fan or something. But, I thought this story was pretty cool. True, some folks may think this is a waste of time, whether there are intelligent species out there or not. I think if were not wasting time in this manner, we're going to waste it some other way.

If you want to get technical about it, I think the very fact that we're having trouble finding signals from intelligent civilizations is proof that these civilizations exist ..... Click Here for someone who can put it better than I.

P.S. I saw a blog today called "Life for Rent." I didn't get to click on the link before the next page loaded. I wish I had been paying closer attention. I don't know how to search for blogs on title only ... seeing as Tin Men Don't Dance is www.pushingtin.blogspot.com, I don't know what Life for Rent's web address is...If you write this blog, please leave a comment! I want to read your blog!!!

Boy, Am I Wired!
December 28^th, 2003
11:52 P. M.

I just got back from watching Return of the King.

Give me some time let it sink in!!!!....

Writers Don't Take a Day Off
December 25^th, 2003
10:46 P. M.

I've spent the day running between Lexington and Georgetown, Kentucky, and I've realized something. A lot of other people didn't get the day off today, either. I could swear it looked as if there were a couple of shops open today (other than gas stations). Heck, I didn't know that there were enough people out there who wanted to shop on Christmas Day. I know there are people of other religions about, but still ... most of the places I saw open today employ (and are presumably run by) Christians.

I know there are many things I wanted to have bought, but didn't get around to by today. I can always go out tomorrow, or maybe even next week. Or even next year ... which is next week, isn't it?

There was an awful lot of traffic out on the interstate today. I don't remember there being so many people out ten years ago. Ah, well. Christmas is becoming more and more a retail holiday. I suppose all there is to do is simply get used to the idea.

I wonder how many people took this as a day of reflection. How many people re-discovered what was really important in their lives.

I know I did. For the first time in about eight years, I got to see a toddler experiencing her first Christmas. My two-year-old half sister was a joy to be around today. I don't remember what she got this morning (other than a set of pajamas she tried to put on by herself), but I know it didn't matter to her what was going on. She was surrounded by people who love her. That's what this holiday has been about to me since I can remember.

The event was punctuated, of course, by flash photography.

*** ** *** ** *** **

Forgive me if this post doesn't seem to be as coherent as usual. I've got the television going, and Sister Act 2 is on (well, the end credits are rolling). There is a lot of really good music in that movie.

Gosh, I love Motown. Viva los Funk Brothers!

...And, So this is Christmas (Eve)
December 24^th, 2003
12:14 A. M.

Merry Christmas, everyone. To one and all, Happy Holidays (Ramadan, Chanukkah, Winter Solstice). May you find your peace through your worship, and forgive those who don't worship as you do.

I Was Going to Make This as a Comment on The Abyss, but Changed My Mind (It Went On Too Long, Like the Title of this Post)
December 23^rd, 2003
1:58 P.M.

Ah, Pua, the joys of growing up poor. The nice thing about it is that we (you and I, in two different decades, in VERY different states) grew up knowing what was truly important in life.
All we truly have are things that cannot be taken away.
There is no price we can put on memories such as these. You and your bottle collecting days. Me and my family shopping at the Goodwill Store.

My sister was the one who was ashamed of shopping at a thrift store. She would refuse to come in with us, and would even hide in the floorboard of the car...just in case someone from school were to see her there.

She later learned that if anyone ever saw here there, it would more than likely be because they were there themselves!
Not to pick on my sister for her vanity, though...we were spotted at the Goodwill once. Yes, the kid picked on us. But, he later admitted that he shopped there, too. (This place is still open, in the same location, and I STILL buy some pretty nice clothes there.)

Everyone I grew up with, who now has a house payment, car payment, what-have-you payment, all tell me their best purchases come from there.
Heck, even some of the high school and junior high school kids I know openly admit to liking the place (amazing how things change...)

Oh, Those Glorious Comments!
December 23^rd, 2003
12:25 A. M.

I'm very glad I found a comment option somewhere out in the ether. I first put the option up on November 6^th, but no one used it for the first few days. After that, it was used only by people who would talk to me later anyway. (You two know who you are!)

Now, however, I'm getting regular comments from a pair of bloggers (whom I'm guessing are a mother and daughter) out in Los Angeles. (And, no, there is not a flea speck town called Los Angeles, Kentucky anywhere outside of the Lexington Metropolitan Area. We do, however, have a Little Texas.)

Seeing as I've never had contact with anyone at all from Los Angeles, I think this has turned out to be a really cool! This is the very thing I was looking for when I started this blog in the first place (back on August 13^th). This was a chance to get back into writing, and perhaps have some friends give some input.

It's turned into a lot more than I was hoping for. Not only am I blowing the cobwebs out of the writing center of my brain, I'm getting feedback; not so much on my writing style (as I had hoped), but on the subjects I write about. Which, I take to mean that my style isn't all that bad!

Too bad I've never turned this into a money making venture. But, I'm sure that can't be completely ruled out.

Back to what I was saying about the comments, though. I got a nice long one from Pua today. It's very much worth a read! In fact, I highly recommend it!
She said something that was very true about the soul being ageless. I know I write about admitting to being old; that's tailored to an audience I may or may not have. I've had a group of fifteen year old English kids tell me I write like an old person (complicated story ... it has to do with another English kid who has the same username on MSN as I do at Hotmail ... mistaken identity sort of thing. I thought that I had been hacked, and some psycho predator was usisng my name trying to lure in kids. I warned them not to talk to "me" if they were ever on while I was at work. Turned out that my family name exists, apparently, somewhere outside Bristol. ...I trace my family name back to the Netherlands, though...)

Now, let me clear the air a bit here. I admit to being chronologically old. Physically, I don't feel any different than I did at fourteen or fifteen (though I am having to shave more often now). In the deepest parts of my soul I'm thinking to myself, "Ok, so when is this Growing Up thing going to happen?"

I have not felt any older in my soul ... ever. From before I could talk, I remember vividly having a sense of curiosity and wonder about the world we live in. This exists in me still. I don't think that will ever go away.

This could be why friends of mine remark at how well I seem to bounce back from tragedies....

An Update I Was Asked to Make By D
Decemeber 22^nd, 2003
12:08 A. M.

An update on a post from earlier this week; my sister's ex-boyfriend will not be found alive. Witnesses have come forward, according to my father and step-mother, saying that they saw him jump.

I had so much hope for this guy. I wanted to believe that he had learned from the rest of his family how to handle his life. He, like many of us out there, had a lot of potential. I think he could have made a positive change to this world of ours, if only he could have found the help he needed. I know his part of the family would have actually helped him out.

So, dear old acquaintance of mine, I miss what you could have been. I miss what D's ex-boyfriend could have been.

And although she is in a different catagory (I know she would still be here if she had faced the choice), I miss what Amy McDaniel could have been, too.

Some Problems Solved. New Problems to Work On
December 21^st, 2003
12:12 A. M.

I don't know when I'll actually post this, because I plan on surprising D when I (might finally) get to see her (for the first time in a few months) tomorrow. She stays so busy that she doesn't have time to think about what happens next in her life. I think if she were to slow down she might fall apart!

Which is more than likely the problem I've had for the past couple of years. I've been living too slow. If you do that, you'll see stuff coming at you and have time to form a reaction -- that's a big mistake. It's best not to see it coming.

So, when my car started falling apart this year (it actually started two years ago with the levers for the power locks breaking off within days of each other) it happened so quickly that I didn't have time to freak out over it. So I devised a plan, discussed it with my mom, who then co-signed for me to get a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. I'm probably spending a little bit more on this car than on the old one, but it's a lot more comfortable than the old one I had.

I know I've written about this already, but that old one had the combination of broken exhaust system/bad heater core that made it impossible to keep warm. If I wanted at least to keep the wind off my passengers and I, there would be the very real risk of poisoning everyone in the car. If I didn't want anyone going to sleep (permanently), I would risk giving them frostbite.

No more, though! I have now bought a car in the same decade it was made!

Heck, if this keeps up, I might buy a 2035 model car in 2031!

So, no more freezing or carbon monoxide induced headaches. No more anti-defroster, either! I do, however, now have a 221 dollar a month car payment plus full coverage insurance to worry about. That, however is easier to handle than trying to scrape together money to make that '85 Caprice Classic safe and comfortable again. I would rather have done that, but money was the issue.

...That, and the darned old thing was built to gulp gas...

A Very Rare P.S.
11:45 P. M.

I know I wrote earlier this week about how Blogger looked different. Well, it doesn't look any different tonight. I've been blogging from my mother's house for the most of last week. And, she has AOL 9.0 ... hence the comment about how everything looked so different. So, I think I might just bite the bullet and upgrade my AOL, then drop my Wal-Mart connect.
I've been thinking about that for a while now, anyway. Everytime I log on to this service is a reminder of my ex-girlfriend (she not only works as a clerk for Wal-Mart, she got me into this service). Mere words do not reflect my distaste for her.
There are exes, and I know some of you have had them (I haven't), that you miss ... you wonder why you broke up with them, then you go around them again and remember. Well, I haven't seen or talked to my ex in about 11 months, and I still remember why I broke up with her. I have trouble remembering the positive parts of our relationship. Despite all this, I still log on to my ISP ... I am what I call a Practical Romantic. For emotional issues, I've been wanting to rid myself of my main ISP and go back full time to AOL. Now, I have a practical reason. AOL 9.0 is better.

Seeing as I only log on to update This Space for Rent, I think AOL might actually be a couple of bucks cheaper a month. (At least I hope.)

So, here's to ridding my life of the very last reminder I have of the deceptor I dated for seven and a half years!

A Long Overdue Evening of Drinking and Dancing
December 20^th, 2003
1:38 A. M.

Tonight was my first night out dancing. I have no moves. No pick-up lines. I have nothing. But, I still went dancing.
And I had a great time. I danced with someone I work with (no one I am officially interested in, and who is more than likely not interested in me ... there is nearly a nine year age difference between us, and I have a cut off at 27. I am willing to go as low as 25 for certain cases, though.)

I have been invited back out next weekend. Though, I am thinking about weaseling out somehow. They're wanting to go to a city 90 miles away in order to keep going until at least 4 or 5 in the morning. I don't know about the rest of you out there who are past the age of 25, but I think I need a little more sleep than that.

They guy that arranged tonight's outing made fun of me earlier for making all these 'old' references to myself. I figure, I was born before 1981, I remember "Superfreak" from before Hammer sampled it, and I remember when MTV played all forms of music (rock, jazz, hip-hop, and country. Remember "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me?" I think it was by Juice Newton. I'm pretty sure she was considered country in the early eighties. Though my memory of the times are fading.)

I'm frickin' old, all right?
I've come to that conclusion already. That spares me the embarrassment of going into midlife so late. I'd rather act like a damn fool at thirty than fifty. Hell, I might just carry it on for the next twenty years or more. I plan on enjoying life as much as possible.

*** ** *** ** *** **

So, I'm late with both the Thursday and Friday posts. Let me sum them up quickly for you.
Thursdays are nothing special. I don't particularly like them because they aren't quite Friday.
As for this Friday, you just read about it. Technically, this is a Saturday post, but I'm going to include the Friday Five in this one.

So, here goes (and, tonight's Friday Five requires little or no brain power. I'm so thankful!);

1. List your five favorite beverages.
In order of most favorite to least, they are water, lemonade, Coke (or Pepsi), White Zinfandel, and beer.

2. List your five favorite websites.
Check to the right. You know that I'll have trouble picking just five.

3. List your five favorite snack foods.
Carrots, celery, corn chips, potato chips, and chicken strips.

4. List your five favorite board and/or card games.
It's been so long since I've played any, but I'll try. I seem to remember Candyland ranking up there, along with an exquisitely weird one called "Smess", I used to love playing Dungeons and Dragons with my Jr. High School friends at lunch (does that qualify me as a geek?) as well as five card stud and blackjack.

5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games
My all time favorite is Chrono Trigger for the Super Nintendo. It got a nice little makeover for the Playstation, so I'll count that one twice. (I like anything that has a female character who wears glasses and has a lot going on between her ears. Hence, the thing I have for Velma from Scooby Doo. And, any other dark haired woman who wears glasses.)
The rest of my favorite games are on the Atari 2600. They would be River Raid, Adventure, and Pitfall.

There are no reasons for me to like any of this stuff. It's all a matter of taste.
I don't like it when people even try to explain why certain things appeal to them. It never makes sense to me, and I'm never swayed even if it does make sense.

I Have Less Than 10 Minutes to Make the Wednesday Post!
December 17^th, 2003
11:55 P. M.

Ok, so you know that stuff I wrote yesterday about doing my entries earlier in the morning? Well, there is one thing I forgot about the internet on a dial up connection.

When you go online during peak hours, you don't always get access to web pages you want to view ... especially if those pages have a lot of people trying to view them. The ones no one cares about ... they still pop up in a flash.

Not blogger, though. That's not such a bad thing, when I think about it. It simply means there is a demand for time on blogger.com. And, so long as there are people out there blogging away, there will always be a blogger.com website. At least I hope.

*** ** *** ** *** **

So, now on to what I was going to write about today.
As those of you out there who read This Space for Rent know, I'm going to turn 30 in just under 3 weeks. And, for those of you who have been here since the begining (and you know who you are) you also know that there are a couple of things that I would like to have happened in my life by now.

These things were my goals;
Be married by 25.
Have one child (and possibly another on the way) by 30.

Well, one deadline's already past. But, at least I had a girlfriend at the time that one slipped away.
The next one's coming ... no girlfriend this time.

You might think that would make me sad. It doesn't, though.
Think of it this way. At my age, I would feel silly saying I had a girlfriend. (When I broke up with my ex at 28, I already felt silly calling her a girlfriend.)

When I think over my situation right now (and people closest to me know quite a bit more than I'm letting out in this blog), I realize that the deadlines for my goals have already past.

And, do you know what a goal without a deadline is?...

Humpday Quote of the

Week!

"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country."
-Anais Nin, The Diaries of Anaïs Nin

I'm Going Back to My Old Routine
December 16^th, 2003
12:20 P. M.

The old routine I'm talking about is writing in the early morning instead of after work. I'd like to feel as if I have more time in the day to conduct a personal life, and about the only way I can think of to do that is to get in bed earlier than I have been.

I've been missing out on running around because I get up so late (around 10 A. M.), and all I usually do is get my workout clothes on, grab a change of clothes and head straight for the gym. (I'm taking a day off from that today just to get my schedule re-arranged.)

So, after I finish this post, I'll research the weekly quote I'm going to post tomorrow, and then I'm ... hmm ... I don't know what I'll do next. I have two hours before I need to go to work.
I might just head down to the library and pay my late fees...

A Day Comes to an End on a Slightly Smaller World

December 15^th, 2003
11:53 P. M.

I heard some strange news at about one o'clock this morning.

At about four or five o'clock yesterday afternoon, police discovered an idling car near a bridge on a river near town. The driver was nowhere to be found, but he had left his wallet behind.

To the best of my knowledge, the driver has not yet been found, and he is not expected to be found alive.

This is another long time friend of my family's here. He's D's ex-boyfriend's cousin. The two had one thing in common; a short, but very troubled life. They both had their problems, and both had people near them who cared very deeply for them ... but did not know what to do to help alleviate the suffering.

Hell, I didn't know what I could do in D's boyfriend's case. He was like a brother ... no ... he was a brother to me. I still miss him. And, as his little brother, I still wish I could have had the last word on him. But, he died not knowing what he had done to me.

D knows what I'm talking about.

He did the same thing to her.

It's another sad day for that family. What's worse is ... I don't know if this is one of those families that lingers on tragedies like these, as if these tragedies only happen to that family.

Life is tragic all around. We can either say how terrible it is that someone took their life. Or we can praise them for being able to know that it's not going to get any better.

I for one believe what Byron said; "...If I laugh at any mortal thing, 'tis that I may not weep."

Count my laughter as tears, folks. It's either that, or ..........

I Hit a Wrinkle in Time!
December 15^th, 2003
11:43 P. M.
I just looked at my last post. It appears that December 12^th has happened twice this year.
I understand that it happens once every sixty thousand years. Scientists aren't sure why it happens, but they appreciate the extra day to figure it out! (I must give credit to George Carlin for that line. It was ripped right out of one of his books. I thought it would be a good line to use to get a laugh at my own expense here.)

Sunday at the Pub
December 12^th, 2003
11:01 P. M.

I think I've started something here.

The friend I had arranged to meet at the pub last week brought someone along with her today. This person had never been (I think) and was talking about bringing her friends next week.

The Irishman who manages the place seemed happy to hear the news. And, the duo that plays the music there is happy with me because the people I've brought in are buying CDs off of them.

My friends didn't get to stay long tonight. So, they missed out on some of the drunken carryings-on. That's a tragedy in my mind. There's nothing greater than authentic drunken Irish people. They have such great senses of humor anyway, but somehow they're doubly (Dublinly?) funny after they've had a few....

*** ** *** ** *** **

I'm starting to like my separation asterisks. Nothing says a new line of thought is coming up better than a row of 8s with the shift key held in!

*** ** *** ** *** **

I meant to go out some time today and pick up a "cheat chart" for my keyboard. I've been so long away from music that I've forgotten almost everything about it. Like I posted yesterday, I have figured out the scales, but I need a little more. I don't remember the variations on the scales at all. I know the twelve major scales, but nothing beyond that.

And key signatures? Fahgeddaboutit! I have ... from lack of practice!
I'm looking for a remedial type resource ... I'm not sure where to look for it, though.

First thing next Saturday, I'll go looking around the music shops near my mom's place. I was told I might have some luck there.

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful
December 13^th, 2003
11:22 P. M.

It's pretty bad out there in Lexington, Kentucky right now. It's about 28 degrees Fahrenheit (about -2 C) and it's sleeting on top of about a quarter of an inch (a little over half a centimeter) of snow.
This kind of weather makes for great postcards, but terrible driving.

And I was out in it a few hours ago ... in a car which has a bad heater core. In case you're wondering what a bad heater core does, well, it can make the interior of your car smell like hot anti-freeze (warm propylene glycol, num num!) and can cause your defroster to do the exact opposite of what it's supposed to do.

Hence, why I was looking at getting another car. I know that it would be easier, maybe even cheaper, in the short run to get that fixed, but I'm thinking more about the long term here. It costs me anywhere from 80 to 100 dollars a month to put gas in this car, and I'm looking for a lot more efficiency.
So, for my own benefit now ... I know it's not very entertaining to read someone thinking at his keyboard ... I'm going to recap what I need out of a car;

A good heater core

better fuel efficiency

quieter exhaust system.

Those are the most important points to me. I want my windshield to be clear at all times, I want to be able to run between my home and my sister's (some 620 miles away) on a single tank of gas, and I want it so quiet that I can not only hear myself think, I could also hear my passengers think. (I wonder if any of that is unrealistic?)

*** ** *** ** *** **

What prompted the thoughts about the car is that I was, as I stated earlier, out in this weather earlier. I was out shopping for a specific item tonight.

I know I posted about my father putting together a new band, but I can't quite recall if I've posted about my job in it. He's invited me to run sound for them. Now, I don't know if he's run this idea past the other guys or not. But, one thing is for sure ... all the guys have been encouraging me to play an instrument (or two) with them. I'm hoping it's only at rehearsals ... I haven't played an instrument for a crowd since I played viola for the last time in sixth grade (way back in '86 ... the year I met TRS).

I, therefore, have some miniscule experience with a four stringed instrument ... so picking up bass guitar might not be so hard ...
If there weren't 17 years of forgetfulness and a totally different set of strings!

I do remember the scales ... fairly simple really. Half steps and whole steps, that sort of thing. If you know the pattern, you can play an eight note scale starting at any note. 3 whole steps then a half step then 3 more whole steps and a half step to get to the octave. All a matter of practice.

All the while I was playing viola, I was also in chorus. When I gave up the viola, I did not give up chorus. It's hard to pay for an instrument that is built into the human body.

So, while I was in chorus, I was still learning music theory ... and I was being taught scales on a piano. I can find middle C on a keyboard ... I know the pattern for a major scale ... I remember quite a bit of music theory since I stayed in chorus so long ... all I need to do is

Practice

Practice

Practice!
And, I intend to do just that.

How does this tie in to the old car v. new car argument? The complaining about the driving conditions?
I'll tell you.
I went out tonight and bought myself a Yamaha PSR-170. I fully intend to learn everything I should have learned about music 15 or 20 years ago. I wonder how it's going to turn out...

Looks A Little Different Here at Blogger.com
December 13^th, 2003
12:35 A.M.

Well, if the folks at Blogger haven't outdone themselves! Well done, folks! I really like the new layout. I can reread an old post as I create a new one without having to open (and alternate with) a new window. I really like it. You will too, if your mind works anything like mine does (that is, I can't remember a thing I write within minutes of finishing it ... does that happen to you?)

Anyway, I know I'm a few minutes late, but I'm here to give you my Friday Five! So, without further adue ... ado? ... adieaux? ... well, without any more hestitation, here they are!

1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays?
I do indeed love the cold weather for the holiday season. Had I been born in the Southern Hemisphere, I'm sure I would love to spend the holiday season on a beach somewhere.
Come to think of it, I've thought to myself that it's the middle of summer for my birthday down in Sydney ... I could go surfing!
Seeing as I was born in Lexington, Kentucky, I have had no real opportunity to practice surfing. So, it's no matter. I happen to be pretty good at sledding. (You'll not see me doing much snowboarding. If you do, it'll be mostly straight line stuff. Nothing fancy. I just like moving at speeds faster than running while not moving my feet.)

2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect?
Perfection is so elusive that I won't even try to mention it. What, and whom, would I have at a celebration to make it thoroughly enjoyable? Well, I'll have to give you the super shortened version. I could go on for hours if I were to describe the thing even skipping to every tenth detail. But, here it is;
It would involve the following things;
A large, open field.

A tremendous tent (heated, of course ... we are talking about Christmas Time at 38 degrees north latitude, aren't we?)

Enough wood to keep a bonfire going until well into the night.

Every family member that I have, all my friends, all my family's friends, all my friends' families (and all their friends). Basically, everyone on the frickin' planet would be invited.

No one could so much as look at anyone cross eyed while the bonfire still burned, though. I know someone would have to be a jerk to someone else. But, for the day, that would have to wait.

3. Do you do have any holiday traditions?
Not really. My family didn't go out on a limb. We all stayed within the same city, up until recently, so no one was any more than a twenty minute drive from the farthest relative.
We have dinner on Christmas Eve, and lunch on Christmas Day followed immediately by the opening of presents (my favorite part of the whole holiday. Not so much that I'm getting things ... I just like the sound of paper being torn off boxes, all the gasps and laughs. I just like the sounds associated with people receiving their gifts).

4. Do you do anything to help the needy?
Whenever I can, I do. In any way possible.
I've never volunteered at a soup kitchen. I've never worked at a homeless shelter. I drop a coin or two into the bell-ringers' pots whenever I switch from electronic to physical currency.
But, beyond that, I don't do much. But what I do, I do all year 'round. My personal favorite; saving aluminum cans, and giving them to whoever asks for them. That way, I know the money is going directly to whomever needs it. And don't give me this guff about how I don't know how the people are going to use the money I give them ... I know of many things they could do with it; they could buy drugs, alcohol ... or food. Have you thought of that?
Think of it this way ... one way or the other, these folks are going to get what they want. But, even through the charities, it's darn near impossible for them to get what they need.

All we have to do is ask them what they need.
But, we may find that their real needs demand far too much time and money, so all the organizations devoted to the needy can do is offer shelter when the weather turns bad, and hot meals whenever the food is available.

Give me a fish, and I shall eat for a day. Teach me to fish, and I will feed myself for a lifetime ... but, could you lend me a pole and line first?

5. What one gift would you like for yourself?
What one gift would I give to myself? ... think think think, man.
Hmmm....
How about the ability to read people and situations such that I could find true love?
Yeah.
That would do for a start. That's the one thing that I lack that's kept me away from my dreams of marriage and parenthood.

But, I suppose I'll just have to blunder through life like everyone else. Maybe one day to get lucky and find someone who is looking for the same things I am. Someone with whom I have a lot in common. Or, maybe not a lot in common.

This could start a new post. Maybe I'll flesh this out at a later date.

So, for now, good night, everyone!

Good evening to my two readers (that I know of) in L.A.!

Everything's Dragging By Today. Must Mean It's Humpday, Again!
December 10^th, 2003
11:40 P. M.

Today was busier than usual at work. But, I got my "fair share of the work load" done. Never mind that everything I needed to get done showed up within a reasonable time for me to get it done.
But, that's a different blog for a different attitude for a different lifetime. I'll play nice when it comes to work.

Work went fine today. I didn't mean for it to sound as if things went wrong. Quite the contrary, this was a better day than usual for me. And, despite what the title of this post might lead you to believe, the day hasn't dragged by at all for me. It just started dragging for the ride home.
You see, some time in the past few hours, the rain that Lexington, Kentucky was getting changed into snow. It hasn't been could enough for it to accumulate (yet), but the roads are covered with very cold water, and ice pellets are building up in the puddles. It's a very wet slush out there, and folks in this town don't seem to take this sort of road condition seriously enough.
So, I took my time coming home tonight. Hence, the dragging.

Then, I tried to log on to the web. Every single time there is any rain at all, my phone line gets very noisy. The worse the noise, the slow my connection. Hence, the dragging (again)!

Tonight, I had a two fold purpose for logging on. You will have been reading one of those purposes shortly (the Humpday Quote of the Week) anyway. But, since my connection isn't very healthy tonight, I'll tell you folks reading what the other purpose was; I'm doing research on cars with hybrid engines in them. I'm hoping I can find a used hybrid car somewhere, but I don't even know what the name of any of them are. All I know right now (I learned before tonight) is that Honda and Toyota have some out. I don't know if any other makers have put any out, and I was hoping to find that out tonight.
But, with my connection iffy, all I can do is get the Humpday Quote and ask if any of you folks out there can recommend a hybrid car for me. (Look, I know I won't be doing any scenes out of 2 Fast 2 Furious in a hybrid, but I don't care. With the cheapest grade of gas a good 20 cents more expensive than I remember it being six months ago, I'm willing to sacrifice squealing tires for going a lot longer between fill-ups.)

I already had the quote coming up picked out (when I planned on this post being much smaller), and it has nothing to do with what I've just written. I'll post it anyway;

So, now it's time for the

Humpday Quote of the

Week!
Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.
J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973), The Lord Of the Rings, Book Four, Chapter One

This quote is one of my favorite quotes of all time. One we all need to keep in mind in order to prevent our society from going completely haywire.

Infinite Blogger on the Big Dogma
December 9^th, 2003
11:56 P. M.
I wonder how many people my age (about to turn 30) get the reference I just put in the title of this post....

Don't worry too much about it. It's just a red herring. I just wanted to get in a reference to something that colored my childhood.

Well, I've made good on my early resolutions. I've been, of course, writing more often than I have been over the past couple of months. And, I have also returned to the gym on a more regular basis. I had lost 30 pounds, picked up 15, now I've lost 3 in the past few days. My mood's been a whole lot better here recently, too. It's all synergistic, I suppose. Exercise more, whether you feel like doing it or not, and eventually you start feeling better. Heck, you even start to feel up to exercising.
And then, your mood gets better ... the better the mood the more the exercising the better the mood......

This past Sunday, though, I exercised a little harder than usual. I wanted to see how much weight I would have to use to feel like I did when I first started working out. Before, doing leg lifts on a hundred pounds would wear me out. Now I routinely do 120. So, Sunday I started at 120, did a lift, put 20 more pounds on, and did another. The second lift felt a little closer to the way it felt back in August when I couldn't lift any kind of weight with my legs at all! But, it wasn't nearly as rough. So, I put on 20 more pounds ... I was up to 160. That felt like it did in the beginning. So, I'm thinking that I should have started out at 80 pounds and should be doing 140 now. It's nice to know your limits ... even if you have to go beyond them to know where they are!

Monday's Running A Little Late Today
December 9^th, 2003
1:37 A. M.

I was getting online about an hour ago when my usual ISP froze up repeatedly. I had to go to my back-up, and I discovered that D was online and trying to contact me!

So, some updates on that front, seeing as her computer is being temperamental as all hell, and she (very wisely) will use it only for school work when it allows her to log on.

Amazingly, neither of us got kicked off line while we were sending our messages back and forth, but here's the gist;

As you regular readers know, she's been trying to get pregnant for quite some time now. Each opportunity that passes, her hopes of having children diminish exponentially.
She's had at least two attempts at insemination that I can remember, and the latest one failed this past week. I am truly heartbroken for her. But, she does have another stage to go into;

In vitro fertilization.

I can truly say that I had hoped it would not come down to this.
She's already been on one of the hormones she will be given, and it sent my poor friend into a tumult. Originally, though, it was given in a much higher dose to help control endometriosis, and just about every side effect you can think of occurred.
I had not returned to her life at that point, so all I have to go on is what she and her husband have told me ... and she was dealing with all of this as her ex-boyfriend was really going off the deep end.
She is afraid that this stuff will bring back all the migraines, weight gain, and moodiness she went through last time.
All I have to say to her and her husband now (I didn't get to say it to her in Instant Messenger), is keep your eye on the prize. I think a great reward is waiting for her at the end of this trial.
And, I'd like to point out something to her right now;
I think I've noticed that the dips in her life are getting more shallow and her pinnacles are getting higher; She gets through my (late) best friend, and winds up with her husband. The two of them go through rough times, and pull through stronger than ever (for the record, I can't be fooled when a couple is paying only lip service to that subject. My parents fought often and dirty, and my dad always told me that he and Mom got stronger after every fight. So, is that why they divorced in '95?)

D, my dear friend, I truly believe that things are going to go very well for you in the near future. These days coming to you will be the best you have ever seen. On that you can trust.

It's like I've heard said, though. You'll have to take to bitter with the sweet.

And that goes for all of us out there.

A Thoroughly Enjoyable Evening
December 8^th, 2003
1:24 P. M.

I can't take too long typing this out, because I am normally in the shower by now, followed immediately by getting ready for work.
I meant to be home last night to do a Sunday entry, but I got too tired to drive. I wore myself out at the gym yesterday, and I didn't really start feeling it until around 10 o'clock (local time) last night. By that time, I was dropping off some Christmas decorations at my mothers house.
Leading up to that, though, was a nice evening of live Irish music at that "pub" I like to walk to. (To see why I put the word "pub" in quotation marks, click on the George Carlin link and find what he has to say about Irish pubs in the U.S.)
And, I had company this time. A friend of mine that used to work with me called yesterday afternoon and asked if I'd like to go out for a cup of coffee. I asked if we could make it tea or pop, and listen to traditional Irish folk (drinking) songs. They said "yes," and we went there instead. I think that I've brought the place a little more business!
Well, that about sums it up as quickly as I can for now.

I should be back into my normal schedule of posting daily soon, by the way...

Saturday Runnings
December 6^th, 2003
3:02 P. M.

I got up a little earlier than I expected today. Normally, I go to bed at around 1 or 1:30 in the morning, and I wind up shutting my alarm off at 9:30 and sleeping 'til 11.
For some reason, though, I got up at 9:30 like I want to usually. That may not seem so strange, but I haven't told you yet that I stayed up until 3 this morning at my friend's house celebrating his birthday.

I do have a myriad of plans today (most of which I have already taken care). I took my friends to the stores this morning, and dropped them off at their house (these were, in fact, the guys I was hanging out with last night ... so that was not as far out of the way as it may have at first appeared).
Now, all I have left to do is go to the gym (and work off that beer I had last night), and go to my mom's and drop off her early Christmas present. (She isn't even expecting this ... it's a discount card, good today and tomorrow at one of her favorite clothing stores. I hope it comes in handy for her.)
Later on tonight, I'm going to go watch my dad's band practice, and perhaps run the sound board for them!

Gee, I'm actually getting very excited about this! That could explain why I didn't need as much sleep today. I'm betting, though, that I more than make up for it tonight. But, I hope not. I'm looking forward to going to the gym tomorrow. It's like D was telling me several months ago, "You have to give yourself something to look forward to every day."
The way things are going today, I must agree with that statement one more time, and promise D that I won't forget it (again)!

Friday without the Five
December 5^th, 2003
12:22 A. M.

Well, remember yesterday how I said that the Friday Five (I forgot to include the link to the site yesterday! Oops! Signed; You Know Who Dec. 6^th, 2003) would be returning today? Well, it will be returning next week ... when the folks at Friday Five post a new list. It's frustrating, I know, but reassuring to me at the same time.

I mean, here I've been worrying myself to death because I've not been posting, and the Fivers do the same thing. Well, they posted enough to say that there would be no Friday Five this week, but you get the picture. Sometimes, everyone needs a little slack time.

*** ** *** ** *** **

Today is one of my oldest friend’s birthday. We met in sixth grade, I think it may have been back in '86 (if not a little earlier). I was the new kid in school. That was a condition I was quite used to in those days. It seemed like every time I got accustomed to being around a particular group of kids, we'd move out of the school district.
Making friends has never been much of a challenge for me. It's all a matter of opening up to whoever seems interested in listening to you, then you spend time letting them open up to you.
But, in certain situations (like being the new kid on the first day of school), you simply don't feel like opening up. Sitting in silence has never been very characteristic of me, but I didn't feel like talking to anyone that day.
At lunch, I wanted to sit by myself, but the closest I could get to that was a table that only had one person sitting at it. I sat down at that table, content to remain silent for the duration of the lunch period.
I noticed, however, that the guy I sat near was having trouble opening his mustard package.
So, I said "I can get that open for you."
He slid the mustard across the table to me, and I applied slight pressure to one end. I grabbed my fork.
Now, before I finish my description of this action, I have to say that I had done this same thing at home thousands of times without a mishap. I apply slight pressure to one end of the mustard (or ketchup packet) and jab it with a fork. As I jab it with the fork, I let off of the other end of the packet, so I don't risk an explosion.
Well, that day my timing was off, and as I was bringing the fork in, I realized that I hadn't eased off the other end of the packet.
Mustard shot half-way down the table.
"Great," I thought to myself, "First day at school, and already I'm headed for trouble."
The guy across from me said, "Man, I'm tellin'!"
"Double great," I thought, "I've just met the class tattle-tale!"
He started waving and yelling for the teacher;
"Mrs. B! Mrs. B!"
She looked up from her lunch. I put my face in my hands, certain my school year was off to a dreadful start.
He yells down to her as he's pointing at me, "He bu'ted mu'ted!"
I yanked my face out of my hands and looked up at him. I've never seen a sillier expression before in my life...just seconds before, though, everything about him had been completely serious.
I looked down the table to our teacher. She looked at my lunch companion and rolled her eyes ... and paid us no mind for the rest of the period.
This guy, by calling for the teacher's attention the way he did, probably spared me a great deal of trouble that day.
And we've been friends ever since.
Today he turns 30 ... 26 days from now, so will I.

So, Happy Birthday to T. R. S.

Keep 'em coming, and don't stop rockin'!

Thursday. That's It...The Title of This Post. Do You Like It? No? TOUGH!
December 4^th, 2003
12:09 A. M.

I'm not quite bored, but you might be reading this. I'm just hanging out here at the apartment, listening to a mix of Tenacious D and Warren Zevon (a playlist I've called "Tenacious Z"), and simply trying to write. Nothing more than keeping those creative juices flowing.
Working on some of that elbow grease that someone once told me was necessary to become a better writer.

Bored yet? Yes?
All right, then, I'll try to get a little more interesting...

Here's what I've discovered about myself these past few weeks. This thing I'm doing...writing regularly, exercising regularly, and getting out, er, regularly...just doesn't feel right. I mean, I enjoy all that immensely, and I have no intention of stopping any time soon.
I have, however, noticed that when I sat down and played my Playstation for an hour, I felt more like my old self. I actually felt a little more cheerful after that! I mean, wasting time on video games is what made me "me" in the past! I need to set some time aside every week for that. I think I find, as it may be said, "my center" when I'm mashing buttons and snacking on potato chips for hours on end.

So, for my New Year's resolutions (it's a little early, I know, but last year's resolution was to stop procrastinating...and I've been meaning to get around to that one since I was in grade school), I resolve to get a Playstation 2 or an x-Box (whichever one is cheapest and plays DVD's), and to play the thing Thursday nights instead of posting here.

Yeah. That sounds good. Most of my action takes place on Wednesday or Friday anyway. Thursdays aren't my forte anyhow.
I've been missing the Friday Fives with alarming frequency lately....
Look for its return this week.


That's it! You all have a good day, and don't be afraid to post comments, or click the "contact me" link on the right of your screen!

It's Wednesday. One Less Hump in the Series to Get Over
December 3^rd, 2003
2:04 P. M.

I really need to find out why I keep getting these full screen internet search things. I really don't like them at all. I originally started this post about 20 minutes ago, and got down to the humpday quote of the week, when a full screen thing popped up...

I tried to close it out, but it crashed my Internet Explorer (which caused my original post to go up in a puff of ones and zeroes), and now I can't remember what I had written.
Nothing very clever, I suspect. I know it was something about having a five beer buzz (which is normally unheard of in guys my size) and how I was researching my Humpday Quote of the Week (which is influenced by a Michael Nesmith song, which I forget the name of...all I can tell you is that it begins his "video LP" called "Elephant Parts").
So, here I go again...only this time, I'm going to try and save my post before I commit to the research...

I'm back now with the;

Humpday Quote of the

Week!

It pays to keep your chin up. You really need to see the next blow coming
And, since I couldn't find the quote that I wanted, I'll just attribute that one to me. It's not original, I'm sure, so if anyone knows its origin, e-mail me and I'll attribute it to the author.